Rostro Group, the owner of retail broker Scope, has secured a Category 5 license from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA), opening the door for the Dubai-based holding company to expand its brokerage and trading services across the country and wider Gulf region.

Rostro’s UAE License Adds Local Market Access

The group, founded in 2021 and active across multiple brokerage and fintech brands, said in the announcement the license is a cornerstone of its long-term presence in the UAE.

With the SCA approval, Rostro can offer more than 60 regional contracts for difference on equities and proprietary CFD indices that track the performance of the Dubai and Abu Dhabi stock markets.

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“We at Rostro Group see the UAE as one of the most forward-thinking financial centers, one that will soon rival leading centers like London, Singapore or New York,” Michael Ayres, the CEO of Rostro Group, commented. “Securing this license deepens our alignment with the country’s vision to build a tech-first, institutionally robust financial ecosystem and propels our contribution to its next phase of growth.”

The group has already set up local banking relationships and is positioning its Scope Prime unit to deliver multi-asset prime brokerage services to financial institutions across the Gulf Cooperation Council.

On the retail side, Scope Markets plans to provide accounts in several base currencies, including UAE dirham and US dollar, reflecting the mix of local and international clients it targets from the UAE hub.

Scope Brands Anchor Institutional And Retail Push

Rostro’s structure spans multiple business lines aimed at different client segments, with Scope Prime focusing on institutional customers and Scope Markets serving individuals seeking access to global trading and investing.

Earlier this year, the group added a futures and options division, appointing Saul Knapp as Managing Director of the new business and preparing to offer direct market access through arrangements with order management system providers TT and CQG.

The company has also broadened its digital asset offering for institutional clients under Scope Prime, launching prime services for crypto CFDs with margin requirements ranging from 2 percent to 20 percent depending on activity and risk profile.

Management Bench Deepens Ahead Of Growth Plans

The UAE license caps a period of management changes at Rostro as it builds governance and operational depth across trading, growth and people functions. In October, the group named Kate Mason-Keaney as its first Chief People and Organization Officer and promoted Scope Markets CEO Pavel Spirin to Group Chief Growth Officer, creating a dedicated function to oversee expansion across its portfolio.

In trading, Rostro recently appointed Oliver Ryan as Head of Trading Operations, adding experience from roles at Exinity, Advanced Markets Group, CMC Markets and Equiti Capital. Earlier, the group also brought in Demetra Charalambous as Group Finance Director and Sammy Christou as Managing Director of systematic market making, as it strengthened its trading and risk operations.